Dancing Flamingos
by OverARainbow
Summary: When Tony loses controll of his car, he might just lose the one thing he cant live without too. Unless he can swallow his pride, and make her the ARC reactor she so despratly needs to survive.
1. Chapter 1

Peppers hair flowed in the breeze. As tony speeded down the canyon road. It had been months since they had been able to get away just the two of them, and pepper was nervous. From Tony's job as Iron Man to Running Stark Industries, it rarely gave them enough time to go to the bathroom, let alone go on a romantic vacation. But now that they finally had some free time they intend to stay away from their lives as much as they could. Which frightened pepper. She never had been truly alone with him, and she wasn't really sure how it was going to turn out. As tony flew around a sharp turn in the road, Pepper felt a chill rush down her spine, that chill of darkness and worry. She shuttered, and Tony looked at her.

"You Okay, Pep?" He asked as he turned back to the road.

"Yeah…I think. I had just felt a weird chill, that's all." She said looking back out the window of Tony's silver mustang. He put his hand on her lap, reassuring her that everything was going to be all right. It had just been so long she was worried there wasn't a spark anymore, she was afraid Tony had come to his senses. He would realize that she is nothing compared to him, and leave her for some Victoria secret model, or a playboy bunny. She sighed and put her head against the window. How could a man as famous as Tony Stark fall in love with a small town girl who wanted to escape her fighting past. By running away to L.A. hoping to turn her life around. She sighed and smashed her face against the window. Tony sensed that something was wrong; he squeezed her leg a little.

"Tony?" Pepper asked quietly as she kept her head in a uncomfortable position against the window.

"Sorry, you just seem like…is something wrong? Cause we could go back?" He said glancing at her for one second before he turned back to the winding road. Pepper sat up and looked at him.

"Why me?" She asked softly. Tony looked at her again, then turned and laughed a little. Pepper scowled, and His smile faded.

"Your serious?" He said with a puzzled look. "Why you?" He said looking at her with his play boy smile, taking his full attention away from the road. She wasn't amused. At all. He kept starring at her, not paying attention the big rig approaching them.

"Tony…Stop screwing around and tell me. Why me? Why not some Victoria secret model, or a playboy bunny? Why boring old me?" Tony was stunned. He couldn't believe she didn't know he loved her. The car started to drift in front of the truck. And he continued to look at her.

"Pepper. Why would ask such a thing." The car was now directly in front of the truck. Tony turned only to see the glaring lights of the truck. He quickly grabbed the wheel. The car quickly swerved out of the trucks way, but the car flew into the other lane and off the road. The car jerked forward and launched down the canyon cliff. Tony grabbed peppers hand, and braced for impact. He turned towards her, to take one last look at her before he died.

His life flashed before him. He saw his parents funeral, and remembered how he locked himself in his room for a week with nothing but a dozen beer bottles. He saw the first day he met pepper, he saw her long strawberry hair, and he deep blue eyes that glistened from the glow of her smile. He saw the day they finally kissed, and he knew he would never let her go. Not even now. Not even as the world was about to end, he would never let her go.

Peppers flash was short, but very strong. She remembered when she ran out of her mother's house tears running from her face, and promising herself she would never return. She remembered when a man picked her up off the street, and gave her a job. She remembered all the hell she went through to become Tony's assistant. She saw they day she met him, she remembered she was so nervous, so afraid she was going to screw up and have start all over again. Then she saw them on the roof, and she saw Tony fall from the sky, and then everything went black.

OGODWHATSGOINGTOHAPPENNOWIHA VENOIDEASOIGUESSIMGOINGTOWIN GITWISHMELUCK

Tony woke up to sound of people yelling. They kept flashing light in his face and yelling. He couldn't make out what they were saying. He was still trying to figure out whether or not he was alive or not. He felt someone touch his shoulder, and he turned to see a paramedic, yell something at him then drag him out of the car. Time froze as they slowly pulled his limp body out of the car. He saw pepper, and his heart dropped. She laid there, with eyes closed. With blood dripping from her chest. Turning her white blouse into a rose color. What had he done! He was so stupid not to have been looking at the road. Now because of that pepper, might be…dead.

Tony felt spark. Probably from the ARC reactor breaking down. He pushed the paramedics away in an angry furry. He pulled himself up, ignoring the shocking pain coming from his legs. Ran to pepper, and pushed the rest of paramedics away, and sat by her side. He put his hand on her cold face, and opened her eyes. He felt her eyes twitch, and he dropped his hand. He was relived for the moment to know that she was at least alive. The paramedics ran over to him, and pulled him away and slowly took her out of the car, and put her on a gurney. They pulled him into a ambulance with quick haste. And they dragged Pepper in shortly after. A paramedic kept Tony pinned down, so he wouldn't pull the paramedics off her again.

He could watch them treat her. He couldn't even hear what they were saying, but whatever it was it wasn't good.

"She has shrapnel in her heart. There's nothing we can do Mr. Stark." Was the first thing that actually transmitted into his brain. Pepper had shrapnel in her heart? Like him? He turned to the paramedic who had a grim look on his face.

"Let me up." Tony commanded. The paramedic was puzzled.

"I can't Mr. stark…" Tony grabbed his shirt.

"Let me up" The paramedic froze, and loosened his grip on Tony, so Tony could stand up. He wobbled up onto his feet, and went over to the other paramedics.

"She has shrapnel correct?" He asked the head paramedic. Who nodded.

"I'm going to need my suit case from my car. I need a metal casing, and all of your guys help." The paramedics starred at each other.

"Well…What are you waiting for go!" Tony yelled, as he looked at pepper and whispered it was going to be alright.

**Well that's the first part. More to come soon. Please comment, and let me know what you think they make my day. I don't not own any of the characters. **


	2. Chapter 2

They rolled up to the hospital ten minutes later. The paramedics rolled Pepper out of the ambulance with great haste. They didn't have much time before she bleeded out. Tony held a metal canister in his hand, and followed quickly behind them. He tried to ignore how nervous he was being around a hospital and all. They ran to the entrance to meet Happy who was holding a silver suit case. Happy had grim look on his face, as he met up with Tony.

"Are you sure you want to do the Sir?" Tony kept up with the paramedics, so they wouldn't start without him. He quickly turned around and looked at Happy.

"I don't really have a choice." He said turning back around and following the paramedics down the long white hallway of the hospital. Tony hated hospitals. They brought back horrible memory's.

FLASHBACKFLASHBACKFLASHBACKF LASHBACKFLASHBACKFLASHBACKFL ASHBACKFLASHBACKFLASHBACK

Tony sat in the hallway of Rogers international emergency care center. Exactly twenty minutes ago he had gotten a call that there had been an accident and he needed to come right away. He had almost gotten into an accident himself driving over here. It wasn't easy driving with tears streaming down your face. When Tony had gotten here, both his parents were already in surgery, and there was nothing he could do but wait.

A few minutes later a Doctor came into the hallway. Tony was staring at the ground when he saw two white shoes in front of him.

"Mr. Stark?" The man asked in a calm considerate voice. Tony lifted his head up to see a man, no more than five nine with spiked upwards hair and a bit of an after shave standing in front of him. Tony quickly pulled himself up, and straightens up his ruffled clothes.

"You must be Doctor Downey." The man nodded, but didn't smile. Tony licked his dry lips, and gulped down his dry saliva. This couldn't be good.

"I'm sorry Mr. Stark but there gone…" Tony dropped before he could finish his sentence. They were gone. Gone. Gone! His brain couldn't process it. It was too much too fast. It was strange and frightening. He didn't know what to do. He was afraid, and angry. He quickly launched forward, and attacked Dr. Downy. Throwing him to the floor. The last thing he remembered about that day was a few nurses prying him off the doctor, who laid on the floor stunned.

As they dragged Tony off he yelled.

"I didn't even get to say goodbye!"

BACKTOTHEFUTUREBACKTOTHEFUTU REBACKTOTHEFUTUREBACKTOTHEFU TUREBACKTOTHEFUTURE

Tony froze, for a second and then caught back up with the others and ran into the emergency room. That wasn't going to happen this time. He saw her. She laid there on the table all ready for him. Her helpless blue eyes closed tight preparing for the hell ahead. He ignored his fears, and the shock's of pain coming from his ARC reactor. And put the suit case on the table next to her. He took a deep breath and turned towards the paramedics who patently waited his commands. He handed the metal tube to a young man, and Tony put some gloves on.

"Okay skinny boy with the metal tube…you need to put it in her." The man had a look of horror on his face. "Just do it!" Tony barked at him. The man flinched and got right on it. He started to open her up right above her breasts. Tony turned away not able to watch the man. He couldn't watch the death of his girlfriend so he turned to the others.

"Two of you help him. The others over here with me." They nodded, and a man and a women walked over too Tony. They watched in amazement as he opened the suit case to reveal a glowing light, known as the ARC reactor. Which is the blessed thing that kept him alive, and would soon be keeping her alive too.

"We're going to put that in her body?" The young man asked. Tony picked it up and nodded.

"The Tube is in Mr. Stark." Said one of the girls who had been helping place the tube in her body. He slowly walked over there, holding the ARC reactor with shaky hands. He was nervous, and who could blame him. He slowly stepped over to her. When.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.

"Where losing her!" One of the women said as she rushed to her side. Tony freaked out, and pushed one of them out the way, attempting to place the ARC reactor in the tube. He almost screamed when he say there was no base plate.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.

"Where the Fuck is the base plate!" He screamed. One of the women had a sheepish look on her face, as she handed him the flat one dimensional disk.

"We need to pull it out, and put it back in!" He shouted, as the quickly pulled it out, and the beeps went faster. The laid the base plate down, and put the tube back in. Tony quickly plugged the ARC reactor in, and instantly. The beeps slowed. And he fell down onto the floor. From the fact that his own ARC reactor was failing. He started to black out, and the last thing he saw was the glow of the new ARC reactor on peppers chest. And he knew he had been successful.

**Another cliff hanger of the sorts. Thanks to BarefootBeachBum. Who inspired me to write more. please comment, they make my day :D **

**Try to listen to the song "Fix you" by cold play and read this. I listened to it while writing and had to stop so I wouldn't cry. And I got the Dr. Downey idea from NCISville. Go check her stories out there great. **


	3. Chapter 3

Tony jolted awake, to find himself in a hospital room. With his hand handcuffed to the bed. He looked around anxiously to see Rhodey sitting in the chair by his bed. Rhodey didn't seem to notice that tony had woken up. He was to distracted playing Angry Birds on his IPhone. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Rhodey. Stop killing pigs and look up." Tony said sarcastically. Rhodey shot his head up, and smiled when he saw Tony was awake.

"Tony!" he said standing up and walking over to his bed. "Sorry about that…" He said pointing to the handcuff. "The Doctor thought it was nessciary." Tony cocked his head, then saw why when a man no more than five nine walked in. Doctor Downey. Tony laughed a little, but then his smile quickly faded.

"Where is Pepper?" He asked the doctor, rather shyly. Dr. Downey gulped, and cleared his throat.

"She is down the hall, but I suggest you stay handcuffed to your bed for now." The doctor said. Tony turned and looked at Rhodey. Rhodey nodded, and pulled Dr. Downey out to the hall with him. They stood out there for several minutes, throwing words and hand gestures back and forth until finally they walked back inside. Dr. Downey sighed and unhand cuffed Tony. Rhodey helped Tony out of the bed. Tony was still a little weak from everything that had happened. As well as the fact that it took his body a while to get use to a new ARC reactor.

Rhodey guided him down the hall, and stopped him at the door of Peppers room.

"Tony. You have to be careful. She might freak out when she see's you." Tony nodded, and they both walked in. She sat there under the glow of the ARC reactor. She just starred at it. like she didn't think it was real. She didn't turn when they walked in; she just kept looking at it. Tony pulled away from Rhodey, and slowly walked towards her. She pulled her gaze away from the ARC reactor when she heard Tony's footsteps. She looked at him for a second, then looked away.

"I told them to keep you away, for today at least." She said in a bitter tone. He ignored her words, and walked up next to the bed, and sat down. She didn't look at him.

"Tony, please just leave." She said looking out at the window. He didn't get it. it saved her life and this is how she repaid her?

"Why are you mad at me?" She gave him a look. "Why do you think Tony? You nearly killed us. And now…" She stopped. "I have a circle of light coming out of my chest!" She turned and glared at him. "So please just leave."

Tony stood up. "We almost died because I was trying to tell you how much you mean to me! Cause some how you forgot that your my everything. Do you think I would put tech as valuable as the ARC reactor in just anyone. I did it for you cause…" He stopped. He turned back to her. She was sitting there with and expression less face. 'Fine I'm sorry, that I saved your life." He started to walk off.

"This is so typical of you. You bottle your emotions until they explode in everyone's faces. I should have known a man like you could never change. You didn't put the ARC reactor in my body for me. You put it in for your self. So you wouldn't have the guilt. Well fine! I don't need your shit!"

Everything slowed down. Pepper pulled out the Arc reactor. Tony spun around and tried tostop her. But it was too late, she took the ARC reactor and threw it onto the ground. It shattered into a million pieces. Tony quickly grabed his ARC reactor and pulled it out. He quickly fell onto of her, and with the last of his strength he put his ARC reactor in her, and passed out.

**Another cliff hanger. Did pepper over react? Maybe just a little. Will tony live? And WTF is Rhodey doing? He was just standing there. All question hopefully will be answered soon. **

**Thanks to all the reviews they make my day **

**Ok spotlight time. **

**Go check out BarefootBeachBum she has some great stories. As well as Shadow feelis, go check them out. **

**Ok hopefully the next chap will be better and longer. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Well after a short break time to get back to this story. Idk when this one will be done its taking longer than I expected it too. So here we go. **

As time seemed to slow down, Rhodey ran out of the room. The moment that pepper reached for her ARC reactor. He sprinted down the hall. Bumping into several nurses with their sickly patients. He ignored the curses that they shot back at him. He was on a mission. Too save his best friend, and nothing was going to stop him if he had a say in it at least. He sprinted down the hall to operating room where they had done the presider on Pepper. He sprinted into to the room.

"This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen." Said a young doctor who was holding the ARC reactor up to the light. They had taken it out of the suite case Tony had left in there. Since he didn't want to leave peppers side at all. She examined the machine with great excitement. One of the other doctor's took it out of her hand, and smiled.

"Forget how amazing it is. Think of the cash. Fame. For finding Tony Stark's heart. We will be rich." He said gleefully, as he smiled too the other doctor.

Rhodey bursted into the room interrupting there little conversation. He was painting. Until he saw them with the ARC. He glared at them. He needed to save Tony, and even if he was too late. Rhodey would promise Tony he would never let anyone get the plains for the ARC reactor. So it would never be used for evil purposes, ever. He quickly walked up to the man, and punched him in the face. The ARC reactor flew up into the air, and Rhodey flew to the floor to catch. He picked himself up with the ARC reactor intact. He then turned to the man.

"Sorry, that was for Tony…" He quickly ran out of the room. And headed down the hall back to the room where paramedics where trying to save Tony's life.

YOUWANNABEALOSERLIKEMELOLWHY AMILISTENINGTOHAPPYMUSICISHO ULDBELISTENINGTOSADSTUF

Tony's unconscious body laid on the floor where two paramedics scrambled to get his heart started up again. They pounded on his chest over, and over again. But could not jolt him up. The aggressively tried to wake him up. They tried CPR, but it didn't do anything.

"We need to shock him…" One of the nurses said. The other nurse nodded and grabbed the kit. She opened it up and got ready to shock him. But pepper, who had just regained consciousness walked over.

"No…you could risk damaging him. That metal plate will either absorb the shock to help him. Or it will fry him inside out." She said trying to keep herself as come as she possibly could. The nurses looked at each other. Then put the kit away and continued to try to do CPR. But it still did nothing. They stopped and looked at each other. One of the nurses, brushed the sweat off her face and sighed.

"Call it…" One of the nurses started to say as Rhodey bursted through the door. He was sweaty and out of breath. He ran over to Tony. He was almost in tears when he saw Tony's cold body. He pushed them back, and he quickly plugged the ARC in.

Tony's body didn't seem to react to the ARC being plugged in. Rhodey bent over, and let a sigh. The was no breath. He was gone. Rhodey's body filled with anger. He had tried so hard. But it wasn't enough. He didn't save Tony. Rhodey slapped Tony. Over and over again. The nurses pulled Rhodey away.

"You promised me! You weren't going to kill yourself with your craziness!" He screamed, as the dragged him out of the room.

Pepper started to cry. She knelt down next to him, as the tears rolled down her cheeks like silent rainfall. It was all her fault. She had over reacted and now Tony had paid the ultimate price with his life. She put her hand on his face, and slowly stroked his scruffy chin. She wept softly. She tried to keep it together but it didn't last long. She lost it and put her head down on his chest and cried. She couldn't believe the he was really gone. Some many times he had flown off, and she worried he would never come back. But he always did. Now he wasn't coming back no matter how much she prayed, and wished. He would only be a faint whisper of what would have been.

She kissed his lifeless body. As she did this, she didn't realize that there ARC's where touching. As she finished up her kiss. She realized she couldn't pull herself off his body. The ARC's had pulled their body together, and she couldn't break the magnetic pull. She gathered all her remaining strength, and forced her body off of his. The force was so strong, that it sent a shock through her body and his. Which sent he fly back across the room. The force was so strong it knocked her out.

While she was unconscious. Tony slowly opened his eyes.

**Thanks too all of the people that reviewed, and liked it means a lot **

**So I'm thinking one more chapter? Yes, no? Let me know, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! It takes like too seconds, so just do it!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok here we go the final chapter of this story. Thanks to all my readers. It means a lot to know I have people looking forward to me stories. **

Rhodey sat at the end of the hospital room. Watching his two friends lay in their beds. The doctor had said Tony was in a coma. While pepper was just knocked out. He couldn't believe this. His two best friends, who were also star crossed lovers. Where now gone from reality. They where lost in translation, and there was nothing Rhodey could do about it. He sighed, and walked over to peppers unconscious body. She lay there so peacefully, her freckles illuminated under the dim hospital lights. He new why Tony loved her, then again who didn't love Pepper. She was a hard worker determined, strong, and never gave up. Rhodey looked at Tony. Who's beaten up face showed how much of a fighter he was. Tony had given up so much to the world. Even when no one wanted him to help, he still did. Tony even gave Pepper his heart so she could live. Now the two greatest warriors the world had ever seen where caught in an endless sleep.

A nurse walked in, she smiled at Rhodey. Then she started checking up on them. Rhodey sat back down in his chair, as she switched Peppers IV. As the women switched the IV. A yell came from the other side of her. A scruffy looking Tony Stark sat up in full shock in his bed. He was breathing heavy and was completely confused. Rhodey stood up and walked up to Tony's side. He put his hand on his friend, but Tony pushed it off.

"Pepper… Don't do it!" Tony yelled, as he turned and say Peppers unconscious body. Tony tried to get out of the bed, but Rhodey pushed him down. After all the drama that had already happened he didn't want anything else to go wrong. "Tony…Tony, Pepper is ok. She was just knocked out. She will be awake soon. You just need to rest."

Tony tried to wiggle out from under him, but it was no use. Rhodey had always been stronger than Tony. Tony sighed and gave up. "What…what happened." Tony said in a low voice. Rhodey stepped away from him. "Pepper tried to take her ARC out, but you were able to put your ARC in. So then you were passed out, and I had to go grab the ARC from some doctors. Then you were completely dead, but the magnets save you and…Ugh! The whole thing gives me a head ache." Tony laughed at this. Then his smile faded. "Was this the only ARC you saw them have?" Rhodey nodded. Tony sighed and sat up. He didn't have time to worry about two interns. He had Pepper to worry about. Tony looked at Pepper as the nurse walked away. Rhodey smiled, and walked over to her since Tony could not at the moment.

Rhodey walked over to Pepper. "Pep, come back to us Pep." He saw as he looked at Tony who smiled at him. Pepper groaned a little. "Five more minutes please, Tony." Rhodey and Tony laughed. Rhodey gently shook her. She opened her eyes, and smiled a little. She then shot up. She had a look of shock on her face. "Tony!" She cried as she looked around.

" Over here Pep." Tony said as he flashed a smile her way. She smiled, and slowly climbed out of the bed. Rhodey held onto her arm, and guided her to his bed. She started to cry a little when she saw his beaten up face. She felt so horrible. This had been all her fault, and they had almost had both died because of it. Tony sat up and kissed her on the fore head. She smiled a little.

"Tony…I'm so very…" He put his hand up to stop her. "Rhodey could you open the drawer." Tony pointed to the hospital night stand. Rhodey let go over Peppers hand and walked over to the night stand, and grabbed a little black box. He handed it to Tony. Tony climbed down from the bed, and wobbled over next to her. He went down on one knee.

"Pepper Potts. God women your a saint! To put up with me for ten years. Then after all of that work crap, you decide to be my girlfriend! Any girl would have turned and run by now, but not you. So you asked me a few days ago why you? Why the hell not! You're perfect. You keep me sane will I fly into alien portals, who fight crazy robots. Your what keeps me going, no playboy bunny could ever do that to me. So that's why I wanted to go away with you this weekend so I could propose to the most perfect women in the whole world. Since we never made it to out get away, I figure might as well give this cloud a silver lining. So will you marry…" She cut him off with a kiss. There ARC's touched again, sending a spark through both of their bodies. "So I will take that as a yes?" Pepper nodded.

"I better be the best man. " Rhodey said with folded arms. Tony laughed. "Of course!" Tony smiled and looked at pepper again. "And I have the perfect engagement present for you." He said with a wicked smile. She sighed, and kissed him. He pulled away. "So, Pep what color gold titanium suit do you where?"

**The End, or the just a new start. **

**Im thinking a sequel is in order? As well as a Christmas special. Ok thanks again for reading, and like all ways please review. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, so this isn't a chapter. But I wanted to let all of you know that the sequel to this is up. Its called to save a flamingo. So please go check it out!**


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